


Arkham: Red Kingdom

by BrokenWingedTenshi



Series: Kingdom Come [1]
Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, DCU, DCU (Comics), Maribat - Fandom, Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: BAMF Bridgette Cheng, Bisexual Harleen Quinzel, Bridgette Loves Her Niece, Bridgette deserves better, Bridgette enjoys intelligent conversation, Bridgette has seen some shit, Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Damian Wayne is Bad at Feelings, Damian Wayne is a Little Shit, Dick Grayson Needs a Hug, Edward Nygma is the Riddler, F/F, F/M, Harleen Quinzel Needs a Hug, Jack Napier Feels, Jason Todd Has Issues, Jason Todd Needs A Hug, Jason Todd is Red Hood, Jason Todd is Robin, Jervis Tetch is just here for a good time, Joker (DCU) Has Issues, Joker (DCU) Is Working On Those Issues, Jonathan Crane Is Working On It, Jonathan Crane is good at intelligent conversation, Lesbian Pamela Isley, M/M, Multi, Parent Harleen Quinzel, Past Domestic Violence, Past Joker (DCU)/Harleen Quinzel, Past Rape/Non-con, Past Violence, Protective Damian Wayne, Protective Dick Grayson, Protective Jervis Tetch, Protective Pamela Isley, Protective Tim Drake, Psychiatrist Harleen Quinzel, Reformed Pamela Isley, The Rogues Gallery as Family (Batman), Tim Drake Has a Bad Time, hint hint, nudge nudge, wink wink
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-27
Updated: 2020-11-16
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:06:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27225493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrokenWingedTenshi/pseuds/BrokenWingedTenshi
Summary: Bridgette Cheng had not anticipated that her job interview would send her straight to the top of the ladder in Arkham Asylum. As the new head of staff, she's putting her foot down and putting in place healthy, safe and effective practices. She's making progress even before her sister Sabine offers to help, and together they're making big changes, making things better for these people who got dealt a bad hand.Due to her strict but caring nature and her often chipper disposition as long as people follow her rules (as evident by the time she made an example of one Lyle Bolton who attacked another inmate), she's given the name White Queen amongst the inmates. Even her baby niece, who is an excellent judge of character, loves the rogues. But then, they have been protecting her all her life after all.Romance is not the foremost concern in this story, but it will be present. Welcome to the Red Kingdom, ruled by a white queen . . . and a red princess.
Relationships: Bridgette & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Bridgette Cheng/Jonathan Crane, Cassandra Cain & Tim Drake & Dick Grayson & Duke Thomas & Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne & Damian Wayne, Cassandra Cain & Tim Drake & Dick Grayson & Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne & Damian Wayne, Sabine Cheng & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Sabine Cheng/Tom Dupain, Talia al Ghul/Bruce Wayne
Series: Kingdom Come [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2199261
Comments: 94
Kudos: 356





	1. Enter The White Queen

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Miraculous Ladybug crossover salt prompt + AU + One-shots](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23038042) by [SayuriFanficWorld](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SayuriFanficWorld/pseuds/SayuriFanficWorld). 

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bridgette wasn't ready for this but she'll be damned if she's just going to sit by and watch these people be mistreated.

Bridgette Cheng had never expected this. To shoot up the ladder immediately into a position of command was unreal. It was beyond her wildest expectations! At least until she saw what she was dealing with. Abusive staff, doctors and guards, people who should likely be behind bars as well just roaming free in the Asylum. But Bridgette was nothing if not determined, and set to work immediately.

She started with reviewing files, both patient and employee. Both are equally disturbing. The employees barely have any qualifications at all and the patients fall deeper into depravety each day because of it. People only know the attitudes and behaviors they are shown. Humans are adaptable creatures but that can just as easily be a bad thing as good. Without proper care, the human mind falls easily into the depths of disrepair. She suspected that was why Mister Freeze did equations in the frost on his plexiglass cell, or why the Riddler took any opportunity to test his newer riddles against anyone who would listen, or why Harley mumbled to herself about the mental states of the guards and the things she could observe about them through the bars of her cell. So, knowing that they needed the interaction to keep their minds sharp, Bridgette began her first objective. Assess the patients. She was thoroughly happy with what she found. Despite the abysmal reports the subpar doctors had been writing, the patients were mostly in good mental health. Mostly. Jack Napier was certifiably out of it . . . but he wasn't beyond help. As far as she was concerned, no one was beyond help. A few of the patients would even likely be reformed rather quickly. 

Pamela Isley for instance, was very intelligent, and had never really be out of her mind to begin with. A few bad decisions in the interest of saving the earth here and there, but that was to be expected. People made mistakes. That was something of Poison Ivy that was irrevocably, beautifully human. It has been one day and one lifetime since Pamela has felt human, but she thinks she could manage it with help from this woman. Maybe she could even gain a friend. She told Bridgette of the things that went on in this place. Gave her names, corrupt practices, the people she'd find bruises on this week if she looked. She gave the Chinese woman what she needed. The woman, in return, brought her flowers the next day. She knew Pamela could use them to get out if she wanted, but she gave her a pot of beautifully cared for Lilies. She had smiled then.

"I know your powers Doctor Isley, but how can I ever expect you to trust me if I don't return the favor. These are a gift to make your cell a bit less gloomy until you're rehabilitated and ready to leave this place. I've let the guards know anyone who lays their hand on a patient or their belongings will deal with me. Seeing as I'm their boss, I expect they will be cowed, but if I have to make an example of one of them so be it. I'm replacing most if not all of them anyways."

Pamela wasn't sure what to say. Doctor Cheng- Bridgette- just smiled at her.

"Have a nice day Miss Isley. I expect your new psychiatrist will be here soon to begin your first session. I've already restaffed our psychiatric and medical departments, the information you gave me this past week has been enormously helpful. If you don't mind, perhaps I'll come in for tea later."

Pamela swallowed hard, blinking back the tears that threatened to spill. It had been so long since anyone save her fellow rogues treated her like anything other than a monster.

" , , , I'd like that Doctor Cheng."

The woman smiled back at her.

"Then I'll see you for tea this afternoon Miss Isley."

Perhaps she really had made a new friend.

~~~~~

Scarecrow was . . . interesting to say the least. She knew a little bit about his origins, but not much. Still, she couldn't deny that Jonathan Crane was smart. And not too hard on the eyes when he decided to stop scowling at her. It took her longer to break through to him than to Pamela, but that was alright. He was seeing the changes firsthand, and seemed satisfied enough. Still, she reveled in those times when she could see that small upturn to his lips when she'd said something clever or told a good joke and he couldn't help himself. Surprisingly, when he was calm he had a rather mellow voice. Calculating dark eyes and artfully messy brown hair he seemed to run his fingers through when he was thinking.

Jonathan's treatments were also a bit different than Pamela's, but he was further from rehabilitation. It was an almost tangible thing for Pamela, but Jonathan could just barely see the possibility. Still, it was a start. He was leagues better off than some of the other patients, like Whalen Jones or Jack Napier. Both of whom needed a lot of attention and psychiatric help. Which she was seeing to it that they were getting. Without really knowing why, Bridgette made it her personal goal to get to know Jonathan Crane. Maybe he could tell her something she didn't already know, but she thought it might just be because she liked his company. 

~~~~~

Bridgette had never expected her sister to want to come to Gotham of all places, especially not while she was pregnant but here they were. Six months into her work with the Gotham Rogues Gallery of Arkham Asylum, she was making significant progress. Pamela was set to be released next week, and she couldn't be happier for the woman. Jonathan was closer than he'd ever been to something resembling normalcy. His life had always been so focused on fear- how to use it against people, make them feel helpless- that he had never felt the need to deal with his own fear. Which, as it turned out, he had a lot of. But he was working through it. He was making steady progress towards something akin to a healthy state of mind. Harley and the Joker had been taking couples counseling with her as their counselor. She had her fair share of knowledge when it came to unhealthy relationships, and she was helping them work through. About a month back, they had decided that they were always more harmful to each other than helpful, and had decided to break off their romantic attachment. They remained in the couples counseling, but now it served as more of a support method. Giving them time with someone they knew and cared for to discuss their progress. Talk to each other about the way things had gone. Give Jack yet another day where he spent the first twenty minutes of their hour and a half session apologizing for how much he'd put her through as he relearned empathy and other human responses to things.

Sabine had come in with her to the couples therapy sessions a few times, discussing what a healthy relationship dynamic was. How they could achieve a healthier standpoint than even where they were now. With her belly starting to show at four months pregnant and only growing more each time they saw her, they tended to listen. Everyone did. even swollen with child, her sister was scary. But when she wasn't scaring people into submission, they doted on her. Harley liked to rub her shoulders a bit during their sessions to help her relax at least a little bit. She knew Sabine would never truly relax- not until her baby had been brought into this world safe and sound, until she could hold her child in her arms. Harley had been the very same way when she'd had her daughter. Three year old Allison Napier was with Harley's sister or occasionally Pamela until one of her parents was well enough to leave. Likely Harley, Jack still had a long way to go. But he was getting better. Lucy and Pamela brought Allison to see her parents whenever they could, and Bridgette let them bring her over so her parents could hug their little girl. Tell her while she was in their arms how much they missed her, how much they loved her, all the things they had planned for when they could all be out in the world together.

Allison didn't quite understand what was so different about her parents, but they seemed happier than they had been. And they kept getting better, so she was glad they were here with the nice ladies who brought her cookies when she came to visit. She was glad they were healing.

She'd discovered that three more of her patients had children as well. Edward Nygma had a daughter named Adelaide who was two and sent in drawings and pictures with the help of her current caretaker. She was staying with Oswald Cobblepot, and so was Jonathan Crane's four year old son Isaac, and Whalen Jones' six year old son Wyatt. Wyatt was learning to write, and sent letters he had written himself, talking about 'Cousins Isaac and Addie and Uncle Ozzy'. Isaac was working on it, but he was easily frustrated so his letters were often shorter than Wyatt's. To make up for it, he sent things he made for his father. He liked to paint and assemble figures mostly, though Oswald had talked him into building a ship in a bottle or two to keep his old man company.

In due time, when Oswald was sure this new head of staff wasn't just going to throw him into a cell and send the children away, he started to bring them to visit too. They adored Bridgette and liked to lay their hands on 'Auntie Sabine's' belly to feel her baby daughter kick at their hands, after which they would giggle and return to their fathers or to Oswald, who insisted they just call him Ozzy. After all, with what they were doing for his friends- for his brothers in all but blood- they were practically a part of the family anyways.

Sabine being there had also drawn the attention of one Jervis Tetch. The Mad Hatter of Gotham. He was an interesting character to say the least, but at least he was mellow for the most part. He'd taken to calling her the White Queen after he noted all the changes were her doing. And depending on her mood, he called her by different things. When she was all smiles and amiability, she was 'My Lady'. When she was passive aggressive and aggravated she was 'Your Highness'. And- when she was angry' of which there was one one instance to date during which Lyle Bolton had attacked Jonathan Crane- when she was angry- . . . She was Majesty.

~~~~~

Things had been going so very well. So much like Bridgette wanted them to. She was helping people, she was making a difference in these people's lives, giving them the option to be better. But of course, things can never be that simple. She knew there had to be something brewing, she could feel it. Sabine could feel it, though just barely at nine months pregnant.

And then, there was a breakout. A breakout of massive proportions during which she saw several people she had fired during her first few weeks. Of course. People had to make this complicated. She was fine with giving her patients a bit of time off, Batman and the GCPD would return them soon enough, but being cooped up in here so long couldn't be easy. Except- . . .

"Bridge-"

She looked back to find her far shorter sister leaning against the wall with a frightened look. Bridgette's breath caught in her throat.

"My water broke."

She was going to skin those idiots. But first she needed help. Looking about, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Jervis looked unusually serious.

"What do you need?"

She gave him a list and he and Jack, who had shown up shortly with Harley, ran too get what she needed to deliver this baby safely. Whalen, Jonathan and Edward have all shown up and formed a barrier between she and Sabine and anyone who might try anything. Which meant everyone but them and the two who had run for supplies. Jack joined the protective barrier and Jervis sent her Jonathan, taking his place in the human shield protecting them. 

By the time Batman and Commissioner Gordon had made sure everyone was back in their perspective cells or rooms depending on how unstable they were, Sabine was holding her baby, her precious daughter, her Marinette with the most infamous of the Rogues Gallery peering around each other and cooing at the baby. Batman cleared his throat, and the Rogues all deflated a bit, moving to back to their cells. Sabine sat up a bit more.

"Wait!"

All eyes turned to the little woman with the baby bundled in a white sheet.

"You all may have just saved my baby girl's life. I owe you mine . . . Thank you . . . And I was wondering-"

Harley stepped to her side again, rubbing her shoulder.

"What is it blue?"

Sabine bit down on her bottom lip, but it was soon overcome by her smile.

"Would you like to be her Godparents? . . . You don't have to of course but I just feel like anyone who would risk themself for a woman they hardly know would be perfect for helping to raise a baby or if you don't want to I completely understand and I-"

Jack bent down in front of her and set a finger to his lips. Sabine quieted, and he gave her a gentle smile.

"Sabine, you know better than that. You're part of our family. You, Bridgette, and now your little girl. I know I speak for all of us when I say that we would be honored. And if you need help with anything, you know where to find us."

Bridgette grinned at the gobsmacked looks on Batman and the Commissioner's faces when they saw the infamous Clown Prince of Crime kneeling beside a woman and her newborn and just smiling at them. A real, genuine smile. She would print out a picture of their faces from the security feed for him later.

"What's the matter with you two? Never seen a family before?"

She would probably regret that later, but for now it was just good to be home.


	2. The Trip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette isn't having Lila's bullshit, but at what cost?

It was so strange, Marinette thought, how quickly time flew. Already, it had been years since she had seen her extended family in Gotham. Since she'd been out of Paris at all really. And yet here she sat, on a train into Gotham City with her Nonna in the aisle seat. (There were no planes flying straight into Gotham after an incident some years ago involving Kite Man and Killer Moth, who had since become a legitimate Gotham businessman and a rock star respectively.) They'd taken a flight to New York and gotten on the train from there, heading for the station closest to the home her Nonna Gina kept in the city. 

You may be wondering why Marinette was heading to Gotham. It's quite simple, really. Marinette Dupain-Cheng was- in a word- mousy. And quite unsuspecting. She was always quite small, dark hair braided off to one side or pulled up in a bun to keep it out of her way. (She'd never cut it. Aunt Pam insisted. She liked to play with and style it, and thought Marinette's long hair looked wonderful will flowers weaved in.) She often wore cute pink jeans, just enough space in them that her legs were harder to discern. She liked baggy jackets that covered her lithe frame and her parents exempted her from gym class so none of her classmates got hurt. (Uncle Jack liked to tell them they were spoil sports for that particular restriction, but only jokingly.)

In truth, no one would've ever found her out if Lila Rossi hadn't shown up. She'd been covertly taking care of the bullies in her class for years. Like when Chloe made Mylene cry once as kids and she had come to school the next day with a busted lip. Or when Kim had pushed Alix down the school stairs and he had 'mysteriously' gotten a black eye. Not that anyone ever knew it was Marinette. She was very careful not to get caught. Honestly she hadn't even been very bothered with Lila. Until she lied about Jagged Stone, and Marinette had snorted.

"What's so funny about that Marinette?"

Lila's question wasn't overly hostile, but Marinette knew that look in her eyes. Locking eyes with Chloe, (who was her seatmate in the back of the room) with a grin before turning back to Lila, she just arched an amused brow.

"Jagged has never had a cat. His manager and the woman he loves is allergic to cat hair, not to mention that he got attacked by one as a child and had hated them ever since. Besides, his crocodile is pretty territorial."

Lila bat her lashes sweetly.

"Well, this was before he got the crocodile."

Marinette just crossed her arms over her chest, leaning back in her seat with a vicious grin.

"Oh? How many times have you been held back then?"

Lila sputtered a bit. Beside Marinette, Chloe was struggling to hold back her laughter.

"Excuse me?*

Marinette's grin grew a bit.

"Honey, he's had that crocodile for twenty years this coming weekend, so for you to claim you saved his pet before Fang, which you didn't because you failed to consider where he was twenty years ago, and the fact that he's on the no-fly list, you would have to be significantly older than the rest of us. So for you to be in this class at all as a student you'd have to have been held back quite a few years depending on how old you were when this supposedly happened."

Lila stared at her for a moment, before bursting into tears. 

"Wh-why do you have to be so mean!? I just wanted everybody to like me! I'm-I'm sorry, but I just wanna make friends, honest. I didn't have any at m-my old school-"

Chloe was rolling her eyes with a chuckle. "I wonder why." She muttered the words under her breath, and Marinette chuckled at her best friend. They'd made amends sometime in the fourth grade and been inseparable since. Adrien, holding hands with his boyfriend Nino in front of them just sighed at their antics. Nino just leaned back in his chair and watched as the rest of the class doted on her, aside from Juleka and Alix, who sat across from Marinette and Chloe and were speaking in hushed tones, ignoring the spectacle Lila was making of herself.

Alya, who had just joined them the year before (their freshmen year but who's keeping track really?) turned to them with a frown.

"You know, you have a lotta nerve picking on a disabled girl."

Marinette arched a brow.

"You have a lotta nerve talking to me like that after that interview I got you. Remember, one phone call and I can shut down your little pipe dream and have everyone use the actual app made for tracking akuma battles and I'd be doing the public a favor. The heroes are not your meal ticket."

Alya paled, and Chloe chuckled. Rose bristled at the front of the room, turning towards them in all her neon pink glory.

"Stop laughing Chloe, Lila has real problems! Not like you with all your bogus meds."

Marinette tensed, about to lunge over the desk. Chloe set a hand on her shoulder just as she moved, looking down her nose at the girl.

"What's that? Soooo sorry, I can't hear you over your outfit. Pink really doesn't flatter your skin tone, it washes you out terribly."

Across the aisle, Alix chuckled into her hand. Before anyone (probably Kim) could get all uppity about it, Lila stood up and turned to them, pointing and puffing out her cheeks.

"You guys are just bullies! You have a lot of nerve sitting up there all high and mighty. What do you have that we don't!?"

Marinette's friends all turned to her. Adrien with horror and everyone else with malicious glee. She picked up her phone and speed dialed her number three on speakerphone. It was picked up after two rings.

"Hey, Nettie! How my little Rocker?"

Marinette grinned as the rest of the class paled considerably.

"I'm great Uncle Jag! How's the missus?"

"She's great! She's actually getting a snack right now-"

"Jagged? Who's that?*

"It's Nettie!"

There was a bit of shuffling before the unmistakable voice of Penny Rolling-Stone came through with a bit of whining from Jagged. ( _"Peeeeen, it's my phone. Give it back!")_

"Marinette! Darling! I'm so glad you called. Jag ripped the jacket, do you think your parents would mind if I snagged you for a bit after school?"

Marinette chuckled softly at the dumbfounded looks before Juleka spoke up.

"Hi Mama Penny!"

"Hi Jules! How's Alix, baby girl?"

Juleka blushed a bit, clearing her throat.

"Sh-she's fine Mama."

"That's good. Tell her I said hi."

Marinette chuckled. "She can hear you. We're in between class periods but I just wanted to call and clear something up. Can you put Uncle Jag back on? I'll text Maman and Papa after this and text you their answer about the jacket repairs."

"Sure thing hun."

A bit more shuffling later and Jagged was back.

"Did I hear my baby girl there!?"

Juleka ducked her head.

"H-Hi Papa."

"Jules, my honey, my sweetheart! How's your punk rock girlfriend?"

Juleka flushed even redder than she already had been and Marinette took this chance to rescue her from her father's teasing.

"Uncle Jagged, Alix is great. A little red over there but she's good. I actually called to clear up a little misunderstanding we had in class. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, what's up Nettie?"

"So my classmate said you had a cat. I didn't think so but I figured I'd check with you."

"Are you kidding? Pen's allergic to the little buggers! And I still have the scratches from the one that attacked me as a kiddo! I've never had a cat."

"And how long have you had Fang?"

"Twenty years exactly this Friday. I could've sworn I told you that when I invited you to the party."

Marinette just chuckled.

"It was part of the misunderstanding Uncle Jag. Thanks for clearing that up. I gotta go before class starts. I'll probably see you later so I can repair your jacket."

"You're a lifesaver Nettie. Rock on little niece! I'll see you and your brother Friday Jules! Bring Alix too!"

Juleka looked like she was about to die of mortification.

"I will Papa! We have class now though, I'll see you Friday, bye!"

She reached across the aisle, snatched Marinette's phone and ended the call with a heavy exhale. Mariette chuckled and slipped it back out of Juleka's hand, tucking it into her purse

"Now that we've cleared that up, it's about time to head for our physical education classes. I suggest everyone get going."

She stood easily, Chloe and Nino flanking her on either side as they headed to their exemption instead. Adrien and Alix flanked Juleka and lead her towards the gym while everyone else scrambled to get their things together and darted out.

Nino Chloe and Marinette spent their exemption period working peacefully on their individual projects in the art room on any given day, so that was where they headed. Obviously, it couldn't be that simple. As usual, the teacher left them after about fifteen minutes to go and work on some papers that needed grading for his homeroom class. This made the perfect opening for Lila to slip into the room, shutting the door behind her and leaning against the wall.

Chloe noticed her first, turning with an eye roll.

"Can we help you with something or did you just come to be a creep?"

She was quite agitated. She just wanted to work on her project. She was painting the Paris skyline at sunset. Her art sold for very high prices and she was due to ship the painting over the weekend. 

"I'm here to propose an alliance."

"No."

Chloe turned back to her painting, and Lila scoffed.

"I wasn't talking to you. I was talking to the queen bee over there pretending she can't hear me."

The blonde stuck her tongue out at the side of her mouth trying to find the right shade of orange.

"She can't. She's got headphones in. She's talking to a friend."

"Yeah Jay, I'll be there. Maman already booked the ticket. There's no way I'd miss it and let those grubby sluts close in. Besides, your Papa already promised I could make your suit."

She paused for a moment, chucking softly.

"Yeah, yeah. Go get ready for school. I have to finish this anyways . . . Right. Call me then and I'll keep you company till I head for bed. I'll talk to you later . . . Yes I'll fix the other suit while I'm there . . . Alright . . . Bye Jay."

She shook her head with a grin, tugging out her headphones, before she noticed Lila standing there. Rolling her eyes in exasperation, she went back to her project.

"What do you want Lila?"

"I've come to propose an alliance."

"No."

Chloe snorted.

Nino, who was in the sound booth across the room, finally finished what he was recording and came out to edit the track. He noted the extra person in the room, but completely ignored her in favor of his work.

"Why not?"

Marinette shrugged.

"You have nothing we want, and we don't collaborate with liars. Besides, you'd just stab us in the back."

She looked mildly offended, which was ignored.

"So why not pair me up with someone to keep me from getting into anything. You could say we're dating . . . What about Adrien?"

Nino scoffed, turning in his spinning chair to face the girls in the room.

"First of all, pairing you with someone wouldn't do any good. The can't watch you all the time, you're too damn slippery. Plus, Adrien is famous. So that's to your benefit really. He was raised without much social interaction so he's least likely to call you out on your bullshit. And last but certainly not least, we're not telling people you're dating my boyfriend."

Lila blanched, turning back to Marinette.

"How about Chloe then? I swing both ways."

Marinette chuckled.

"So does Chloe, but she's dating Aurore Boreal. She's in Mendeleiev's class with Juleka's twin brother, so we don't see them aside from lunch and after school. Chloe and Aurore are inseparable both times."

"Then . . . What about you?"

Marinette just rolled her eyes.

"I just don't like you."

Lila stomped a foot, pursing her lips.

"What? I'm not pretty enough for you?"

Marinette just turned to her deadpan.

"You're plenty pretty on the outside Lila. It's the inside I take issue with. This conversation is over."

~~~~~

Marinette and her friends didn't interact with Lila again till lunch, when she tried to trip Marinette, but ended up tripping _over_ Marinette instead, grabbing her jacket and ripping the sleeve off.

Marinette was, understandably, pissed. She made all her clothes by hand, so for someone to ruin something she'd worked hard on trying to sabotage her had pushed her a bit too far. She grabbed Lila by the collar before she hit the floor, lifting her till her toes just barely touched the ground with a scowl. Her ripped off sleeve lay discarded on the ground, her lean, muscled arm held straight out and on full display, muscles flexing beneath the skin. Chloe could swear she saw a couple of people swoon. Including Lila.

. . .

Who would not be leaving here without an actual injury.

~~~~~

Her parents had told the school she had a weak constitution and was therefore unable to participate in gym classes on strenuous activity. They were currently dealing with the school board. Meanwhile she had been suspended for six weeks pending expulsion. She didn't care much about all that. At least not now.

She'd still been allowed to fix Jagged's ripped jacket and go to Fang's Gotcha Day party, and really she could have done whatever she liked if she'd been of a mind to go out. But she wasn't. She just wanted to know why she'd lost control like that. Why she'd been so angry. She'd broken Lila's hand, given her a black eye and fractured her jaw. Chloe had texted her as much. And while it was immensely satisfying, she was not in the ropes for it. Not that it mattered mind you, her parents would meet with the school board after they did a bit more research and tell her whether or not she was going back to school.

In the meantime, she would be with her Aunt Bridgette and her extended family in Gotham. Her Nonna Gina had brought her this far, but she wasn't staying. It had simply made her parents feel better that she had an adult travel with her. Nevermind the fact that she was perfectly capable of taking herself to Gotham City at sixteen years old, seventeen in three weeks. Her parents had told her to celebrate with their family in Gotham this year and promised to celebrate her birthday with her again when she got home. _If_ she came home. If not they would visit Gotham and celebrate with her there.

For the moment though, she was to stay in this city and spend time with people who understood seemingly irrational anger. People who might be able to help her understand what was actually going on.

And maybe- just maybe- to reconnect with some old friends. Namely? One Jason Todd.


	3. Red Princess Received

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette's family has always been unconventional. So when the bag is placed over her head and she's picked up over a familiar shoulder, she just lets it happen.

It wasn't unusual, Bridgette thought, for teenagers to have bouts of rage but this was new for Marinette. At least, as far as her sister knew. But Bridgette knew her niece a bit better than her sister did. As a hero, her usual responses were heightened quite a bit. Her fight or flight nearly always said fight, and that was a response she was used to in the Ladybug suit, armored as it was. However, she was also used to school being a safe place for her. To her classmates being nice to one another, supporting each other.

To introduce negative stimuli into an environment where she had previously felt safe was to unbalance Marinette's already fragile sense of equilibrium. Especially now that her previous mentor had given up the Guardianship title to Marinette, who was still getting used to all that entailed. Which meant that extended aggravation was likely to trigger her fight or flight. Lila Rossi was just the straw that broke the camel's back.

That was all well and good, but Marinette was unusually strong for her size. Running about in the Ladybug suit had added lean muscle to her body, working out and eating right as Marinette had filled her out the rest of the way. She had grown into a marvelous young woman, and Bridgette was immensely proud of her. So when Gina brought her over after they'd spent the night at her flat in the city (Bridgette had worked a late shift and hadn't been home when they'd arrived), the first thing she did was hug her niece. The baby she'd delivered with her own two hands with a bit of help from Jonathan Crane. Sixteen years later and he'd been rehabilitated and gotten a degree. He was a pediatric surgeon now. He also spent a good bit of his weekend at a free clinic helping out the kids who had nowhere else to go.

"Hey Auntie! Sorry it's been so long, but even though the circumstances are less than ideal . . . I'm really happy to see you."

Bridgette loosened her hold to look at her niece, only a little shorter than she was with her long hair pulled into a braid to her right side. Her baggy pink jeans had been replaced by well fitting blue, and her oversized jacket discarded in favor of a black tank top with embroidered apple blossoms and a black leather jacket. All in all? She looked good. Bright blue eyes took in her casual black slacks and powder blue blouse. A jean jacket covered her arms, and Marinette smiled at her. Bridgette couldn't help but poke her button nose.

"I'm happy to see you too Nettie. It's been far too long since I got to see my girl. Thank you for bringing her Gina. Do you want to step inside for breakfast?"

The woman just waved her hand.

"No, thank you Bridgette. It's a pleasure to see you but I have a train to catch. Marinetta, I'll see you soon. I'll be back with you parents to celebrate your birthday, I promise."

Marinette gave her grandmother a hug, and Bridgette observed the right hold she held the older woman in. As though she were going to disappear. Which, she kind of was. Marinette was likely going to miss her very much. She saw even less of Gina than of Bridgette. 

"I'll see you soon Nona. Thank you for bringing me."

"It was no problem my fairy. I will see you in six weeks time. And you as well Bridgette. Have a good time girls."

Bridgette nodded once, giving her a firm handshake and a friendly smile.

"We will Gina. Have a wonderful trip, we'll be waiting to see you in six weeks."

Once they'd said goodbye, and Gina hailed a cab, leaving the motorcycle they'd ridden over for Marinette, Bridgette went about showing Marinette around the house. Hopefully she could feel at home here. At least for a little while.

~~~~~

Dinner was . . . Interesting, to say the least. Marinette insisted on making dessert, a small thank you for welcoming her. She'd made more than enough, and Jonathan had come home to see Marinette washing up the dishes she'd used, her macarons safely in the freezer.

"Hi Uncle Jon!"

She hadn't looked back, but she did now, a bright grin on her face. He wasn't surprised, really. She was always a bright girl, and she knew he and Bridgette were an item. So he ignored the twinge of surprise and walked up to give her a tight hug.

"Hey Nettie, how's my favorite Parisian?"

She giggled and easily returned the affection, finding herself a bit more at ease. Jonathan had helped her mother give birth, as well as her Aunt Bridgette. These were people she would trust with her life, with no hesitation.

"I'm a little shaken up, but otherwise I'm just happy to be out of the city."

Sitting down to dinner was as comfortable as it was back home. Just her and her Aunt and Uncle. Which was odd to say the least.

"Uncle Jon, where's Isaac?"

He and her aunt shared a secretive look.

"Oh you know him, he's out in the city somewhere with the others. I'm sure you'll see them soon."

Even with years apart she knew that look. Her cousins were going to get up to their old tricks again. And honestly? She was glad for it. She could use some normalcy, and this was practically a visiting time tradition.

~~~~~

Marinette's family had always been unconventional. So when the bag was placed over her head and she was picked up over a familiar shoulder, she didn't struggle at all. She knew who was holding her, and the fact that they'd been able to get into the house meant she was perfectly safe with this person, even if she hadn't known.

Three ride was actually quite smooth, and she caught herself falling asleep once or twice. She'd been taking out her hair to wash when she got in the shower when she'd been grabbed, so she could feel the midnight black waves, tinted a subtle blue falling over her shoulders and most of the way down her back. It wasn't an uncomfortable feeling, and she was quite assured she was safe, so it was difficult to remain aware.

She was picked up again, music booming in the background and getting closer as she was carried. She didn't mind it much and was soon sat down in a chair surrounded by heat and noise. The bag was pulled from her head and she blinked around a few times before a bright grin spread across her lips. 

Before her stood four familiar figures. The bubbly bouncing ball of blonde that was Allison Napier greeted her first, hugging her and surrounding Marinette in a cloud of the girl's bubblegum scented shampoo. Next was Adelaide who grinned at her while her emerald eyes glittered mischievously, tugging her own black leather jacket, which Marinette had sent her for her birthday. On the breast pocket was a four leaf clover surrounded by thorns on twisting vines. In shining black thread, hidden in the design, were her initials. MDC. She clasped Mariette's hand and pulled her up, hugging with one arm, their clasped hands still between them. Wyatt, all beautiful chocolate skin and easy airs with his braids dangling in his face, clapped her on the shoulder, the scales along his cheekbones glinting dangerously with his sharp teeth in a friendly smile. Marinette practically launched herself at him with a laugh, he was always much bigger than her but he pretended to stumble, just to get another laugh. He did enjoy making his family laugh. Isaac watched all this with a grin, waiting till everyone else had said their hellos and his favorite cousin had turned her attention to him. He opened his arms and she darted into them, letting him pick her up and spin her around with a laugh.

"There's our guest of honor! Where have you been Nettie? It's been ages!"

She grinned at him as she was put down.

"Who are you telling? I'm the one all alone in Paris while you guys live it up here in Gotham!"

Alison leaned over her shoulder with a teasing smile.

"You sure you're not just upset because a certain boy toy doesn't live in Paris?"

Adelaide leaned over her other shoulder with a smirk.

"Maybe one who's tall, dark, handsome and loaded."

Marinette was used to their game, and grinned back.

"Wow Addie, I didn't know you liked Dick. I would've set you up ages ago! Why didn't you tell me?"

Adelaide sputtered, and Marinette just smiled as Isaac's chortles and Wyatt's deep, rumbling chuckle could be heard.

Paris - 1

Gotham - 0

~~~~~

It was very early morning by the time Marinette and Isaac came back to the house. They had dropped everyone else off at home, and were just relaxing to one of the one of the one ballads Jagged Stone had ever written. It was a collaboration with his son Luka, and it was about Penny. The woman who had convinced Jagged that if nothing else, his children deserved to know who their father was. She had brought them together, and they thought it fitting to go acoustic and write a song about the wonder that was Penny Rolling-Stone.

"We really did miss you Nettie . . . Mom and Dad have been stressing over this for a week. It was pretty short notice, but . . . I hope you know how glad we all are to have you back."

Marinette kept looking out the window, a soft smile on her lips as she looked out over the gothic lines of the city of crime.

"I know Isaac . . . Is good to be home."

Because legally, Mariette was a U.S. citizen, her birth certificate read Gotham City, and she had a habit of unconsciously picking up a native Gothamite accent when she spent time here. Sure she could use it on purpose, but she often didn't even notice the way she spoke had changed at all. Not until someone had pointed it out to her.

" . . . Welcome home little cuz."

" . . . Thanks Isaac."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just for clarification, here are the ages in this chapter!
> 
> Addison Napier: 20 (three and a half years older than Marinette)  
> Adelaide Nygma: 19 (two years and three months older than Marinette)  
> Wyatt Jones: 23 (six years and ten months older than Marinette)  
> Isaac Crane: 21 (three years and eleven months older than Marinette)
> 
> This one is a little shorter but I really wanted to introduce the older versions of our second generation Rogues Gallery. Not that they commit big crimes like their parents used to but they're not above pulling a Robin Hood here and there or spray painting the second gen symbol here and there.
> 
> So if you've read the latest chair of RaMK you know that I'll be finishing stories by popular demand before I start any more. This story is exempt from that, mostly because I'm way too excited for this but also because I adopted it and I don't want to lose the idea of this concept that I have in mind. So this story will get regular updates between updates to my other stories.
> 
> Anyways Wyatt is my baby and I would die for him, that is all.


	4. The Musings of Rogue Teenagers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little shed light on my favorite babies turned not-so-little pains in the GCPD's collective necks.

Alison thinks that at some point, she wanted to be like her daddy. He was always so sweet to her. He made her happy, telling her stories and jokes that made her laugh till she cried. Till she hit seven years old she wanted to be just like her father. Because at seven years old, Alison found out what her father actually did for a living. He'd hurt people. But she wasn't scared. Her daddy was still her daddy. His hands had ended lives, but those same hands had also held hers since she was very small. Those were the hands that helped her make crafts for her mother, and learn how to write. They were her father's hands. So when he picked her up from school, she ignored the other students and walked like the royalty she was. These peasants weren't even worth the attention of the daughter of the Clown Prince of Crime.

It wasn't until later that she really got closer to the Rogues. She was a lot like both her parents. Blonde like her mother with her father's dark eyes, a good height for a girl her age with long legs and the knowledge of how to kill a man seventeen different ways. Sure, that was all well and good, but she had a temperament like her father. She was fiery, easily agitated. As a child she'd gotten into fights often. That was how she'd met Wyatt.

Wyatt was a scrawny kid back then, with two people he usually stuck with. But other than that he had no friends. People thought he was a freak with his scales and tail (that he later learned to hide). She didn't think so, but Alison wasn't one to get involved in schoolyard politics. And after all, Wyatt was older than her. What could she do that he couldn't? Apparently the answer was a lot. Because the first person to physically hit Wyatt made him tremble. Likewise, Alison Napier trembled. She saw red. Before she knew it there were five prone thirteen year olds on the ground. Ten year old Alison turned and held out a hand, and Wyatt looked at her with deep green eyes filled with tears.

"Let's get you outta here Wyatt."

It was all Isaac and Adelaide needed to love her. It was all any of them needed to take her in as one of their own.

A year later she met Marinette (it was her first time to meet the seven year old that she could remember), and Alison had gone through a few changes. Her blonde hair had gotten longer, and her blue eyes had a calculating look to them. She was able to be bubbly and happy because Isaac was tall and broody and Wyatt was building muscle fast, getting big and already quite intimidating. They immediately clicked, and Adelaide liked to say that they were just alike. Alison had to agree. Because for all Mariette's agreeability and unsuspecting appearance, there was a fire behind her eyes.

Alison had never killed anyone, but for Marinette she would do it. She hoped she'd never have to. But she would. No one deserved Marinette's wrath. At that point? . . .

Death would be a mercy.

~~~~~

Adelaide's teenage years had been unremarkable for a teenager in Gotham. She was followed around by the reputation of her father, and her peers were wary of her. Rightly so, but still. She was quite withdrawn, a woman of few words, Wyatt liked to call her. Not that it was incorrect. She was unlike her father in that sense. She was fond of language, but not word games. She said what she meant and meant what she said. And even her deceptions were true if one looked close enough.

She was always a bit screwy, her father liked to say, though only in jest. They had played word games all throughout her childhood- it had been her favorite pastime. But as she grew older, and the reputation her father had built up as a criminal stuck to her like a fog shrouding her being, she had wisened up. She couldn't use word games anymore. At least not with anyone outside her little circle. That included her cousins, and few others. Alison, the bubbly personality with that hint of a calculating gleam hidden away in beguiling blue eyes. Isaac, the tall brooding counterpart to Alison's happy persona. He watched everyone, saw everything. He knew people better than they knew themselves. Wyatt, the big intimidating Teddy bear. He was a sweetheart in all reality, but so much as a smile sent other people running. She was sad for him, but it was hard to outrun a legacy. Let alone one of cannibalism.

The last addition to her circle had been little Marinette. Just a little slip of a thing who spoke either perfect English, (albeit a little wobbly the first few times they'd spoken as her voice naturally gained a native Gothamite accent) or rapid french she could barely keep up with (she had since gotten better and could speak almost as fluently as a native with no trouble). She seemed harmless, but her mother's reputation among the Rogues and among Gothamites as a whole was legendary. Not to mention her aunt's. Raised by Sabine with help from her badass aunt, previously murderous relatives and globe trotting grandmother, Marinette was dangerous, though she had a way of being unsuspecting that none of the rest of them had quite perfected yet.

Except perhaps Alison. Sometimes it scared Adelaide how freakishly alike two people from different continents could be. Other times she was a little jealous. But they did their best to involve her and make her feel like she was just one of the girls. Just like them. But they never erased who she was or tried to change her. Because the best things about the three of them were they're differences. And you know what? . . .

That was better.

~~~~~

Isaac had lived his whole life with an acute understanding of what fear was. He knew intimately the depths of his psyche, and with how much time he spent with his Aunt Pam and Uncle Ozzy while his father was recovering, he was good at reading other people. Freakishly good. His cousins thought it was great, and he couldn't disagree. In some cases it was an invaluable skill to have. But there were some people he'd never been able to read.

Bridgette, for example, was far too good at her job to ever be caught up. Years running Arkham and whatever her past up to that point consisted of had taught her that the best poker face was another emotion. Her body language never gave her away because he knew first-hand how misleading it could be. There was one one emotion he could ever find in the mess of Bridgette's emotional minefield. And that was anger. Something he hoped he never saw again.

Marinette was less tricky than Bridgette but she portrayed innocence perfectly. Not even the telltale glint of eyes like Alison. Her posture was docile and her eyes were kind, never sharp or unfocused but something far in between. Even when she hadn't slept in days, her eyes were never unfocused. She could be completely zoning out and you'd never know until you said something she didn't respond to. Because she would still be staring into your soul with those big blue eyes. And he couldn't see her fear, but he knew it was there. She stayed with Bridgette most all of her visits, and it was early on very evident that when his father left Arkham, he would be staying with Bridgette. So he got a room in Bridgette's house. And during Marinette's visits, late at night . . . he could hear the muffled sounds of her screams. He'd gone to check on her once or twice but she slept with the door locked. A few times though, once she finally trusted him . . . The would lean against opposite sides of the door and talk. And you know what?

Isaac never wanted to hear her voice choked up with tears again. He'd rather watch the world burn.

~~~~~

Wyatt had never had the easiest time making friends. He was big and scaly, he was dark skinned and his voice had the barest hints of an accent. Not that he knew where it was from. His father never would tell him where they'd come from, but he suspected Louisiana. For a lot of reasons.

For all these reasons, he was the very model of what parents scared their children with a night. He was different. And really, he was alright with that. He had a few people he could trust, and that was all he needed. First there had been Adelaide, who riddled him out of being bullied. Then there was Isaac, who scared off most of the people who looked at him funny. Then there was Alison, who beat the shit out of the first kid ever to hit him. And he wanted to be able to protect them to. It was why he'd started bulking up. Building muscle at alarming rates until he became the bedtime story people had always thought he was. Minus the murder and cannibalism he was a lot like his old man. With one difference.

Whalen Jones had never had friends.

He had associates. He had people he tolerated. Occasionally he had fans. But he never had friends. Wyatt had four. Because after Adelaide, Isaac and Alison, a little ball of blue came hurtling into his life and knocked him on his ass.

Literally.

The first time he could remember meeting Marinette she was running from a mugger with bright laughter falling from her lips as though they were playing a game, and she had hit him so fast he fell over. She went down with him and quickly scrambled off. He sat up, took one look at the man chasing her and watched him dart off so fast he left skid marks. Eyes softening, he turned to the girl, speaking as gently as he could.

"Are you a'right cherie?"

She blinked a few times, before a bright smile lit up her face, and she held out a hand to help him up.

"I'm fine monsieur, thank you. I'm very sorry about this, I didn't mean to run into you like that. You're not hurt, are you?"

He just chuckled, lifting up his long bangs to show amused cocoa brown eyes and scales along his cheeks.

"I'm perfectly fine cher, I'm a tough guy. 'Sides, I'm supposed to be meeting a few friends here."

She stared up at him in wonder, stars in her eyes, and he thought it was the cutest thing he'd ever seen. He wanted to protect that smile.

"What a coincidence, me too. I'm Marinette."

He chuckled softly.

"Confidence indeed. I'm Wyatt."

~~~~~

Marinette was always an unhappy child. At least out in the streets of Paris. Her home was another story. It was a happy place, filled with the tales of her family and the smell of baking bread. She woke up to the sounds of birds and the barest hints of sunshine to brace herself for the outside world. 

Paris was nice, but it never felt like home. Not really. She loved her parents, and the friends she'd managed to make over the years. The Couffaine siblings and Chloe were first. The twins had accidentally knocked her into the Seine and kidnapped her to her her out of the ensuing thunderstorm. She had called her parents on one of their phones to let them know she was waiting out the storm with friends and spent the night watching movies and playing games. By morning, they were thick as thieves. 

Chloe had come next, after a parents day where neither of hers showed. Mariette's parents had heard the other kids make fun of her and stepped in. They chastised the class for being cruel, and the weight of Sabine's disappointment was no easy thing to bare. They had essentially adopted Chloe after that. Them, and Anarka who threatened to throw anyone who made fun of her four kids off the plank of her ship.

Nathaniel was someone Marinette had known all her life really, but she knew they'd truly become friends when he'd stopped holding his tongue around her. And with a little help from she and Chloe, he was quickly building confidence. Enough to speak his mind without fear of what might happen if someone didn't like what he said.

Nino was next to be pulled into their odd group. He got paired with Luka in an interclass project and he had just kind of stuck. He fit in so well it was like there'd never been a time when they weren't all friends. Adrien and Alix showed up around the same time after Chloe and Aurore (who Chloe was not actually dating but it had been an easy way to get Lila to leave her alone) had somehow convinced Gabriel Agreste to let his son attend school. Meanwhile, Luka and Nino had kidnapped the new transfer Alix. Her father was the new museum curator, and they snatched her up with one look at her punk rock clothes and eyebrow slit. The girls shoved Adrien into Nino, who had fallen and promptly fallen in love. The boys pushed Alix at Juleka, who caught the smaller girl and caught her breath when Alix looked up and smiled at her, heart already beating fast against the bars of the long locked cage she'd shielded it in. And that was that.

Still, something was missing. And she didn't know what until she started talking to her Aunt Bridgette over Skype. Her parents had gotten her a laptop, and she talked to her aunt about everything. She showed her pictures and talked about Gotham. About the family she had there. They arranged a visit not long after Marinette had gotten the laptop.

After the first visit to Gotham, Marinette understood why she had never felt at home in Paris.

Because her home- her real home- was Gotham City.


	5. The Red Court Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Explaining the Paris Situation leads to Marinette getting what her family likes to call Lessons In Badassery ™️

It was always lovely to wake up in Gotham. Marinette liked to get up early back in Paris to help with the first loaves of bread at the bakery. She was up before the sun was, stretching a bit and rubbing at her eyes with a soft smile. Slipping her feet into her fluffy purple slippers her Uncle Jack had bought her on her last visit, she pulled her long hair up into a bun. It was the easiest way to keep it all caught up, though a few strands hung in her eyes.

By the time her Aunt Bridgette and Uncle Jon got out of bed an hour later to start the coffee pot and grab something quick to eat, Marinette had made sausage, eggs and pancakes from scratch and was taking fresh muffins out of the oven. She had a pitcher of fresh squeezed orange juice sitting on the kitchen island, along with four plates, two of which she quickly filled up with food and set down.

"Why don't you two get started with breakfast. The muffins will be cooled by the time you have to head for work so you can have some of those on your way to work this morning. I'll go wake Isaac."

Bridgette and Jonathan didn't quite know how to react to that. They never really had time for breakfast before they went to work. Usually they just scrounged up something quick and went about getting dressed for work. It was certainly a surprise to see the food on the table, but the pancakes melted in their mouths and the juice was so refreshing, everything was just so good they didn't really know how to say anything about it. By the time they'd really dug in, Marinette was back with Isaac, chattering away about what she might do during the day.

"Well- Adelaide said she had a doctor's appointment but after that she would help me find a decent fabric store. I'm going to get started on some designs while everyone is out. I've been meaning to get some of these done for ages."

Isaac chuckled softly, ruffling up her hair. She swatted at him with a huff.

"I'm sure they'll all look great Mar. It'll be cool to see your works in progress again. Everybody said they'll be coming over after school and work today too."

Marinette's eyes lit up, and she grinned widely.

"Really!?"

He just nodded at her, biting into his pancakes to hide his smile.

"Really. Ally is driving separately but yeah, we'll all be here today."

Marinette's smile turned a bit secretive, and she settled her hand around her juice.

"Good. There are some things I want to talk to you four about. This should be interesting."

~~~~~

It was only about ten thirty when Adelaide pulled up in her blue sedan, and Marinette hopped in in her yellow capris and cream top, hair pulled into her favorite side braid and black purse with the rose shaped clasp at her side. Though it did take them a good forty-five minutes to find a good fabric store. Still, it was earlier than Marinette had thought they would find one.

The trip was actually quite successful, and before twelve thirty Marinette was seated at the dining room table with the custom sewing machine her parents had bought her several years prior. A soft cream color and painted by her own hand with pastel pink apple blossoms. 

She had already estimated the measurements she needed, but left a bit of room for error, however unlikely. By the time Isaac and Wyatt pulled up, they had Wyatt's little sister Emmeline with them, only seven years old, and sharing her brother's dark complexion and iridescent scales along her cheekbones, leading down her neck and all the way down her sides to her ankles. The little girl launched herself at Marinette, who caught her with a gleeful giggle.

"Hi Emma! How's my girl?"

Emma giggled and leaned back with a bright grin.

"I'm great Netta! Wyatt's teaching me how to ride my new bike this weekend! And Papa's in Arkham again, but he's doing better than he was last time."

"That's so good Em. You should be very proud of your Papa. It takes a lot to be willing to try and do better. And you should be very glad you have such a good big brother too."

Emma patted Marinette's head and slipped out of the girl's arms, darting over to hug her older brother's leg.

"Trust me, I am."

Marinette just chuckled, eyes darting to Alison, who had just walked in.

"Good. Can I borrow him for a minute though. I need to talk to the others. Do you mind looking in the fridge for the ingredients on the back of the chocolate chips sitting on the counter for me? We can bake some before everybody else gets here."

Emma nodded dutifully, saluting and running off toward the kitchen. Marinette watched her go, before sobering quickly. Gesturing her cousins to follow her, she lead them up into her room, sitting down on her bed.

"Close the door, would you Ally?"

Once it had shut, her demeanor changed completely. Her blue eyes hardened to a gunmetal color, posture becoming more confident, shoulders back and gaze sweeping over them each carefully.

"Sorry, but there's a big need for secrecy here. What I'm about to tell you is known by three people in this entire world, and I need you to swear to me it will go no further than this room."

A chorus of agreements meet her, and she seemed to relax, of only a fraction of an inch.

"Good. Now . . . How much do you know about Paris?"

~~~~~

At dinner, Marinette sat directly between Adelaide and Alison, which, it and if itself, was not all that strange. But it seemed they moved as parts of a whole. Bouncing off of each other as though they'd been together all their lives. Which, they had been but they also had not. With so much space between them, and how displaced the family knew Adelaide had always felt, it was strange to witness.

On the outsides, to Marinette's left with Adelaide was Isaac, and to the right with Adelaide sat Wyatt. If one looked closer, they bounced off her energy too, fitting just as well as the girls did.

What no one noticed were the necklaces around Adelaide and Alison's necks. A black and grey foxtail choker for Alison, and a turquoise snake scale patterned choker for Adelaide, with a rattlesnake head protruding out. Nor did they notice the long chain around Isaac's neck with the grey and pink ring that was just barely covered by his shirt. Nor the silver bangle around Wyatt's wrist with the little bee carved into it, protruding out like Alison's snake head. Nor did they notice the replacement of Marinette's earrings with a silver set of brass knuckles. 

Unbeknownst to Bridgette and Jonathan, their son was learning to use his hyperawareness for something more than his own gain.

Unbeknownst to Edward Nygma and his four year old son Jackson, Adelaide's prowess with language would soon save her life.

Unbeknownst to Emma, her big brother was learning to be more than what others perceived him to be, and to show them he could do and be so much more.

Unbeknownst to Pamela, Harleen and Jack, Alison was about to show the part of herself that was absolutely her father's daughter.

And unbeknownst to any but her team, Marinette was about to embrace the chaos that had always resided within her being. After all, she had been raised in part by the Gotham Rogues Gallery. Chaos was in her very being.

Isaac arched a brow at Marinette.

"You gonna tell them about what's going on?"

Marinette just sighed.

" . . . Have any of you heard of Hawkmoth?"

~~~~~

"And that's the whole story."

No one moved. No one even blinked.

" . . . Do you guys have anything to say?"

Marinette shifted nervously, a bit uneasy under the weight of all the stares. Harley finally blinked her big blue eyes.

"So you're living in a city where some dick dressed like the pre-Brigette Mista J is runnin' loose turnin' people in ta supervillains with ugly evil buttaflies?"

Her Brooklyn accent was heavier with her distress, and Ivy set a hand on her shoulder. Marinette gulped.

"Yeah, that's about the gist of it."

Jack's eye twitched beside his former partner and best friend, and he cleared his throat.

"Well then, it stands to reason that before we send you back there we shove as much training into the next several weeks as possible. And IF you go back to Paris . . . You take at least two of the others with you."

Isaac narrowed his eyes.

"I'll for sure be going."

Adelaide chuckled softly, leaning forward on her hand.

"Sure. I could use a vacation."

Wyatt arched a brow, mumbling a few choice words under his breath.

"I'll have to finagle some things, but count me in too cher."

Alison giggled gleefully, clasping a hand around Marinette's arm.

"And no way are you guys leaving me here! So I'll come too."

Marinette swallowed thickly at the show of support, blinking back tears.

" . . . Thank you. I- . . . I'll be grateful for any training I can get. And I'll work hard . . . Where do we start?"

Bridgette smiled mischievously from her spot at the head of the table.

"We start by outlining what you will learn. Get ready Marinette. By the time you leave Gotham, you'll have earned your moniker. We'll teach you how to be the Red Princess you were born to be."

Marinette's smile turned a little sharper, and she wiped at her eyes swiftly.

"Now that I can get behind. Look out Paris."

Bridgette, narrowed her eyes sightly, already planning out her niece's schedule for the rest of her trip.

"Look out Paris indeed."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the court of Red Princess Marinette.
> 
> Long May She Reign 😈👑🐾


	6. Cat and Mouse (Or Bug and Bat)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette's time in Gotham was going fine. Better than fine, she was terrific! The big bad bat was just nosy.  
> Ah well, her Court could use a plaything.
> 
> A mini chapter to give y'all an intro to The Court

When she had agreed to training, she hadn't know it would be so . . . varied. Psych Eval training with Harley and Isaac, Botany and Care of Magical Plants with Ivy, Weight Lifting and Close Combat training with Wyatt and Brigette, Human Anatomy with Jonathan, Language and Duplicity with Edward and Adelaide, Explosives and Economy with Oswald and Jack- all taken every week day at a specific time and packed with useful techniques and information. She was forced to remember, because the same points came up several times to make sure she was retaining the information.

Somehow, word had gotten out about her training and soon she was spending two hours every three days at Arkham with either Jervis Tetch or Whalen Jones, teaching her what they could. Some days it was Misdirection, some days it was Intimidation, and some days her uncles were just happy to see her. And really, she liked all the time her family was putting in to better her. She luxuriated in the amount they must love her to take time out of their days and train her. It was easier for some than others, but all of her lessons were worthwhile.

Besides, that was why most of her lessons had more than one teacher. If one couldn't make it, she still had someone to teach her. It was a good system. Maybe too good. It was on one of her visits to Arkham, just as she was leaving that she was grabbed and pulled through the air onto the roof. Squirming away from her mysterious abductor, she put distance between them as quickly as she could before turning around. And of course, who should she find but the big bad bat himself.

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

She rolled her eyes, crossing her arms.

"Of course you'd be the one to kidnap me. What do you want Bats?"

The dark knight looked taken aback for the moment, though he hid it very well. It she didn't trust her instincts as much as she did she could almost dismiss it.

"I just want to ask you a few questions."

Marinette sighed.

"And I just wanted a pony for Christmas. Guess we don't always get what we want."

She turned to walk over to the door, feeling something grab her arm. She leaned away from it and used the leverage to twist into a roundhouse kick. It had been unexpected, and the bat fell back a step.

"Miss Dupain-Cheng-"

"Shut up! You don't get to make demands of me you fucking hypocrite! You dress up at night to go get into fights and yet you bust street fights and people in spandex, get off your high horse and leave. Me. Alone."

She didn't wait another moment to run to the edge of the roof and jump, grabbing the branch of a tree and scaling it down to get to the ground. She was gone before Batman ever caught sight of her.

~~~~~

It wasn't long after Marinette's fateful encounter with a certain leather fetish furry that she began her team's miraculous training. But of course, the best teacher was experience. So she took them out. They blended easily into the shadows, and unless one was looking for them, they were not seen much at all.

Of course, it didn't take long before they ran into the self proclaimed "protectors" of Gotham City. Not that it bothered Marinette much. Honestly she found it quite funny. Especially since the first person the bats found was Wyatt. But then, he wasn't Wyatt at the moment. Dressed in black armored kevlar with fingerless honey gold gloves and spandex of the same color barely visible between the gaps and a spinning top around his waist, honey gold mask with a wide black V through the middle that covered his scales, Stinger stood between the bats and his team. On his shoulder, dressed in grey spandex with a deep pink armored vest, gloves and combat boots, not to mention his grey and pink mask or the jump rope around his waist, a small Isaac, who at this moment was actually Magenta crouched and watched they're movements. But then, he really already knew everything he needed to about the bats.

"Stinger, stand down. We don't want them running just yet."

He grumbled a few choice words, but did as he was told. Behind him sat three girls, the middle one in what was essentially a black and burgundy spandex suit with what seemed to be a yo-yo attached to her side, under the added black chest piece which matched her gauntlets and what looked like silver knuckle dusters with the addition of what might've been a cape that mimicked wings, leaned against the wall with legs crossed and a brow arched. Her long hair was pulled up into a high braid, a plain black domino mask covering her eyes. To her right was a brunette dressed in deep green spandex, a black leather jacket and combat boots added, gold chains hanging from her jacket matching the snake head choker at her throat. Her eyes were covered by a deep green mask with hints of gold, a lyre strapped to her side, and she set her sights on Nightwing with a playful grin. To the left of them was a blonde with her hair pulled into a high ponytail, dressed in black spandex with a stylish grey vest, black cape around her shoulders with soft looking grey inside, a utility belt around her waist and a long grey and white flute strapped to her back. And of course, covering her eyes was a plain black domino mask. Strangely, the little grey one seemed to be able to ultiply because there was one of him on each of their shoulders too. The girl in burgundy stood straight she cracked a grin.

"Pleased to meet ya!"

Batman just scowled at her, though his partners seemed interested in meeting these new heroes. Even Robin, who was rarely interested in new people beyond beating them.

"Who are you? And your friends?"

Coccinelle just smiled.

"Family actually. You've met Stinger. The brunette is Rattler, and the blonde is Sly. On our shoulders are various copies of our last teammate Magenta. I'm Coccinelle. The Red Princess. We're called the Red Court."

She thought his brows furrowed, but his cowl was very distracting so she couldn't really be sure. She just shook her head and watched for a reaction.

"And what is your purpose here in Gotham?"

Coccinelle just grinned.

"A bit of training, for myself and my court. What better place than the City of Crime?"

Batman just stared.

" . . . No."

Coccinelle's grin widened.

"That's cute. You think I was asking permission."

The bat lunged for her but her never made it. Stinger pulled his spinning top, and it zipped through the air, leaving Bruce paralyzed. With a nod to Rattler, the woman pulled her lyre and began to strum, causing the rest of the bats to start falling one by one. Coccinelle approached the frozen Batman with narrowed eyes, leaning down to whisper beside where she estimated his ear was.

"What you will learn quickly Batman, is that I need no one's permission. And I take no prisoners. Your family is safe from me, but if you or they attack one of us I cannot promise their safety from the rest of ours. Consider yourself warned."

She stood and turned to her teammates.

"Let's get out of here. Gotham awaits!"

If Marinette was a bit more tired than usual the next day, no one mentioned it. Breakfast was still wonderful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So just to be clear!
> 
> Obviously Wyatt, with the bee miraculous, is Stinger, and I adore him. I would literally die for him.  
> Alison, with the fox miraculous, is Sly, based on a rarer type of fox than the common ones that Volpina, and later Rena Rouge.  
> Adelaide, with the snake miraculous, is Rattler (which I think is fun and punny cuz her dad is the Riddler), and she can use second chance at every snake can. She's babie.  
> Isaac is Magenta, with the mouse Miraculous. He's their seeing eye and coordination mouse. They all keep one of him.  
> Obviously Marinette, with the Ladybug Miraculous, is coccinelle. She can still use all her regular abilities, but the miraculous and, consequentially, her suit, have changed based on location, need, and the mental, physical and emotional wants and needs of the wielders. Feel free to ask any questions you may have!


End file.
